@eludisms brusque laughter slipped past his lips, edged with something caught between misery and satisfaction. leaning against the old tree, he felt the rough bark dig into his shoulder, grounding him, though the air around him felt anything but real. something about these woods—-too quiet, too watchful-—set his senses on edge, sharp yet ensnared, as if some unseen force coiled around him. his gaze lingered, unwavering, a quiet intensity simmering beneath jade depths. he studied them, the weight of his stare deliberate, searching. “did you put a spell on me?” the reaper muttered, lifting a hand to rub his temples before letting it drop. his fingers twitched briefly at his side, irritation threading through his stance. “use my senses, huh?” he echoed, voice low, edged with something unreadable. “pick a better insult-—something with bite. and no,” his breath slowed, as if measuring his own certainty. “i found what i was looking for. thus? achievement both acquired and achieved accordingly.”